Düsseldorf, 12.12.2017 – Soon, we may all have Batmobiles. Well, we won’t get the gadgets and gizmos Batman uses, but the technology behind it. The car from the DC comic books can be controlled remotely – just like .objective Software GmbH’s new teleoperated vehicle. The Vodafone Innovation Days 2017 honored the company with the Well-Done-Award.

.objective Software GmbH cooperated with Vodafone and Ericsson to develop their new teleoperated vehicle and presented it at the Vodafone Innovation Days 2017. Controlled from a cockpit on the 18th floor of a nearby skyscraper the car went for a spin on the top level of Vodafone’s car park on the Düsseldorf campus. While .objective supplied the vehicle, the software and the monitors, Ericsson provided the LTE-connection with fast response times.

Teleoperated Driving: .objective receives Vodafone’s Well-Done-Award

.objective’s remote control software is based on two components: The on-board platform and the so called remote control station. A mobile connection connects the two with the help of a server. Depending on the use case the remote-control unit can be in a remote location. The on-board system fuctions as the interface between remote control unit and the vehicle. By interacting with the car it can deliver the data collected by the car’s sensors to the remote driver and send the driver’s orders straight to the car. The on-board platform can also read and write the CAN-bus. Thusly it acts as the central gateway between the vehicle and its counterpart. Additionally, the platform protects the system from external attacks.

Science fiction becomes reality 30 years after research began in the 80s. Teleoperated driving aims to be a temporary solution until we have fully autonoums driving. The main use case would be the provision of vehicles, such as in car-sharing or rental cars. The requested car would then be driven remotely to the location of the next driver. That way he or she doesn’t have to move to the car – just like Batman whose Batmobile has saved him from many dangerous situations.

The Vodafone Innovation Days are held annually every October or November. Vodafone initiated the in-house trade fair to present representatives of clients and the press innovative ideas surrounding telecommunications.